...Viva La Stitching

This card is for last Friday's Viva La Verve Challenge at the Verve Forum AND Wednesday's Cuttlebug Be Inspired Challenge #71. I used this gorgeous purple dining room as inspiration for my color combo, and used the sketch provided for the layout...but I flipped it, of course! I added stitching to both the horizontal and circular panels, which was the challenge from the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog. The card base was embossed using the Cuttlebug Textile Texture Embossing Folder, and the the striped panel was embossed with the Diamonds In The Rough Embossing Folder.

The focal panel was stamped with the flourish from Verve's "Celebration of Thanks" set in Pale Plum Ink, and one of the sentiments from the "Forever In Our Hearts" in Bravo Burgundy Ink. I added pearls to the corners to the panel, tied some Dark Purple Ribbon around the card front, and pierced under the sentiment using a Mat Pack and Paper Piercer. The pearls were actually white, but I colored them with my V15 Copic Marker to perfectly match my card base...LOVE that trick!

That's it for me today! Thanks for stopping by to see me, and I will see you back here tomorrow with a BLOG CANDY SURPRISE!!! Until then...

Supplies

Stamps: Forever In Our Hearts, Celebration of Thanks (Verve)

Papers: Pale Plum, PTI White, Eva DP (BasicGrey)

Inks: Pale Plum, Bravo Burgundy, Sahara Sand

Accessories: cuttlebug embossing folders (textile texture, diamonds in the rough), sponge, sewing machine, mat pack, paper piercer, ribbon, pearls, nesties, big shot, dimensionals, copic marker (V15)

...Verve Project Parade : Tags, Tins, and Treats

Happy Thursday, Verve Lovers! It's Project Parade time again over at the Verve Blog, and today is my day to share my creation for the Tags, Tins, and Treats theme using the latest releases from Verve Stamps. Many of you know that my love of chocolate knows no bounds, so I incorporated some chocolate goodies in my creation! :) After all...isn't that what Valentine's Day is all about?!? LOL!

I decided to make a cute (a very easy to make) Coaster Treat Box...you can find the tutorial HERE. I covered the chipboard coasters with patterned papers from Jenni Bowlin's Town Square Mini Papers Pack, then tied the sides together with some Cocoa Ribbon. The sentiment (and all other images in this project) from "Love's Flower" was stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa Ink onto Kraft Cardstock. All of the edges were sponged with a Sponge Dauber and Sahara Sand Ink, then the top and bottom were pierced using a Mat Pack and Paper Piercer. I filled the inside of the box with some Red Shredded Papers for decoration and filler.

Now for the best part...the treat bag! I filled a Medium Cellophane Bag with some scrumptious chocolate-coated wafer candies, then tied off the bag with more cocoa ribbon. I created a tag by cutting out the sentiment and leaf flourish with Labels Eight Nesties and my Big Shot. An Antique Brass Jumbo Eyelet was attached to the upper left-hand corner of the tag with some assistance from my Crop-a-dile, then I added a row of Red Rhinestones under the sentiment. The large flower was stamped in cocoa onto a piece of Neenah White Cardstock, colored with Copics (R29, R27, R24), cut out, and layered using Dimensionals. The completed flower was attached to the tag with more Dimensionals, and the completed tag was attached to the ribbon with a piece of Linen Thread.

That's it for me today! So, now it's your turn! We'd love for you to play along with us and show us your Tags, Tins & Treats! Verve stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em, why not show 'em a little love? ;)

And, as with all of our project parades, we've got prizes!
To enter, just link up your NEW creation (posted Jan. 25 or later) to the Mr. Linky widget at THIS POST before midnight MST on Monday, February 15. One lucky stamper will win a $25 gift certificate to the Verve Store. And for another chance to win, be sure to give the Divas a little shout out in the comments as they parade their fabulous creations inspired by this month's theme. One lucky commenter during the course of the parade (Jan 25 - Feb 14) will win their choice of any Verve set.

Supplies

Stamps: Love's Flower (Verve)

Papers: Kraft, Town Square Mini DP (Jenni Bowlin)

Inks: Memento Rich Cocoa, Sahara Sand

Accessories: chipboard coasters, foam brush, mod podge, sanding block, crop-a-dile, ribbon, mat pack, paper piercer, glue, scissors, shredded paper, cellophane bag, candies, labels eight nesties, big shot, sponge dauber, jumbo eyelet, linen thread, copics, dimensionals, stickles, rhinestones

...Just A Note

This is another card I've created with one of the January releases from Verve Stamps. I received BasicGrey's Black Tie paper pack, and knew I wanted to use "Accent Notes" with it! The papers have little accents of color throughout several of the pieces, so I decided to bring out the steely turquoise for this card. I colored the flourish with a Bermuda Bay Marker, but accented the rest of the card with white stitching and white pearls. Whatcha think?

That's it for me today! Thanks for stopping by, and I will see you tomorrow with a project for The Greeting Farm Blog Hop! Until then...

Supplies

Stamps: Accent Notes (Verve)

Papers: Sahara Sand, Basic Black, Black Tie DP (BasicGrey)

Inks: Tuxedo Black, Sahara Sand

Accessories: sewing machine, dimensionals, MS border punch, circle punches, distressing tool, sponge, bermuda marker, white pearls, nesties, big shot

...Celebrating You

Here's another card using one of the new releases from Verve Stamps called "Celebrating You". I created a patchwork focal panel with assorted pieces of patterned papers from the Wild Wasabi pack by K & Company. I stamped the sentiment under the patchwork panel, sponged the sides of the Kraft Cardstock base, then stamped the flourish from the set onto a piece of Watercolor Paper. I colored the flourish with an Aquapainter, then cut it out to use as a leaf with the paper flower. Do you like the flower on this one? I was asked a few days ago to write-up a tutorial on making these flowers, would you like that? If so, I will work on getting that tutorial posted on the blog for you all tomorrow.

That's it for me today! I spent most of the day yesterday cleaning carpets, cleaning laundry, and picking up the house. Today is devoted to shopping...Sportsman's Warehouse, Earth Fare, and Wal-Mart. I'm also hoping I can talk the hubby into going to see Avatar in 3-D again! LOL! Thanks for stopping to see me, and I will see you all tomorrow with either a card or a tutorial. Until then...

Supplies

Stamps: Celebrating You (Verve)

Papers: Kraft, Watercolor, Wild Wasabi DP (K & Company)

Inks: Sage, Brown, Red, Sand

Accessories: scallop circle punch, brad, mat pack, paper piercer, dimensionals, aquapainter, rhinestones, distressing tool, sponge, scissors

...Crazy 4 Pink (C4C21)

Happy Saturday! It's time for another "crazy" challenge at the Crazy 4 Challenges Blog, and Lori Boyd has been rocking out the challenges this month! This week you're asked to use pink as your main color. I used one of the sentiments from Verve Stamps' new set called "Heart's Desire", and paired it up with several pieces of patterned paper from K & Company's Smitten collection. I punched out a variety of circles, then distressed the edges of each one. I attached each circle to the card base using Dimensionals, then added a couple of rows of stitching. The sentiment was cut out using the Mega Curved Rectangles Nestabilities Die and the Big Shot. I added some Hot Pink Rhinestones for a little sparkle, then sponged the edges of the Sand card base with a Sand Ink and a Sponge.

Now let's see what the rest of the design team have created for you to peruse:

• Barbara Anders
• Cindy Haffner
• Frances Byrne
• Jessica Diedrich
• Jessie Rone
• Joanne Grzelak
• Joycelyn Turner
• Lori Boyd
• Lynda Benden
• Robin Willis
• Vicki Garrett

That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by to see me today. Now it's your turn to create a card or project using pink as your main color, and share it with us. Be sure to add your creation to Mister Linky back at the Crazy 4 Challenges Blog post...we can't wait to see what you come up with! Until later...

Supplies

Stamps: Heart's Desire (Verve)

Papers: Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Smitten DP (K & Company)

Inks: Melon Mambo, Sahara Sand

Accessories: circle punches (1", 3/4", 1/2"), distressing tool, dimensionals, sewing machine, nesties, big shot, rhinestones, sponge

...Thinking Of Verve

Another Verve release has gone by, and I'm still amazed how Julee Tilman can keep cranking out such gorgeous and elegant sets month after month! I keep referring to this month's release as her "Bohemian Rhapsody Collection" to everyone I know...that's the only way I can even try to explain the new sets. This card utilizes what I call a "medallion" element, and it's from the set "Accent Notes". I stamped the medallion in black onto cream cardstock, then colored the inside of it in a baby blue. The sentiment was stamped in VersaMark Ink, then embossed with baby blue embossing powder. The sentiment and medallion panels were cut out using the Spellbinders' Labels Nine Nesties and my Big Shot. I used some of the patterned papers from BasicGrey's Granola 6X6 Paper Pad, and wrapped some baby blue ribbon around the horizontal panel. I adding some stitching around the blue jean-like panel, then added a black cardstock scalloped border to the vertical floral panel. The upper right corner of the large kraft cardstock background panel was punched with the Spiral Punch, then the edges were sponged with sand ink. Baby blue rhinestones were added to the focal panel to complete the card.

That's it for me today! Thanks for stopping by to see me, and I will see you back here tomorrow with another TGF Farm Fresh Friday challenge. Until then...

Supplies

Stamps: Accent Notes (Verve)

Papers: kraft, black, cream, Granola DP (BasicGrey)

Inks: black, sand, VersaMark

Accessories: dimensionals, sponge dauber, spiral punch, sewing machine, distressing tool, ribbon, scallop border punch, mat pack, paper piercer, nesties, big shot, blue marker, rhinestones, blue ep, heat gun, embossing buddy

...Be Inspired Challenge #67

Happy Wednesday! I am having such a great time being the January Guest Designer for the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog, and this is my sample for today's Be Inspired Challenge #67. I am in L-O-V-E with the new Verve set "Love Monkey"...can you tell? LOL! I reached for my new pack of BasicGrey's Nook & Pantry patterned papers for inspiration, and came out with this rust, chocolate, and white combination. The chocolate horizontal panel was embossed with the Cuttlebug Mandarin Screen Embossing Folder, but the orange rectangular piece under the focal panel was embossed using the Cuttlebug Japanese Scales Embossing Folder. I am loving these new embossing folders, too...you will definitely see more of them!

That's it for me today! Be sure to hop over to the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog to see the other design team members' pieces of art...those ladies are so flippin' talented! Thanks for stopping by to see me today, and I will see you tomorrow with another Verve creation! Until then...

Supplies

Stamps: Love Monkey (Verve)

Papers: sand, chocolate, melon, durango, white, watercolor, Nook & Pantry DP (BasicGrey)

Inks: chocolate, caramel, cocoa, melon, durango

Accessories: CB embossing folders (Mandarin Screen, Japanese Scales), border punch, dimensionals, mat pack, paper piercer, circle piercing template, distressing tool, scallop oval punch, large oval punch, heart punch, nesties, big shot, clear ep, heat gun, aquapainter, scissors

...All You Need Is Love

I have discovered a recent love for Kraft or Sand card bases layered with bright and beautiful patterned paper...and this card started it all for me! This is another January release card made with one of Verve's sets called "Love's Flower". I started with a sand card base, then built the layers up using K & Company's Amy Butler-Faded China patterned papers. The flower was stamped three different times, watercolored, then layered with Dimensionals to create a gorgeous 4-layered focal image.

That's it for me today! I have a mom-and-son-movie-and-lunch-date with BOTH of my boys, so I will not be home for a better part of the afternoon. We are going to go see Avatar in 3-D, then eat at Macaroni Grill with Pam and her son. I love getting to spend some quality time with my babies...I call them babies , but they are both over six feet tall! LOL! Thanks for stopping by to see me today, and I will see you back here tomorrow with another Tuesday Sketch Challenge. Until then...

Supplies

Stamps: Love's Flower (Verve)

Papers: sand, vanilla, bashful, gray, watercolor, Amy Butler-Faded China (K & Company)

Inks: black, kiwi, olive, bashful, ballet

Accessories: heart punch, sponge dauber, dimensionals, distressing tool, mat pack, paper piercer, apron lace border punch, sewing machine, circle punch, nesties, big shot, clear ep, heat gun, aquapainter, scissors

...Crazy 4 Lori's Sketch (C4C20)

Happy Saturday, everyone! I am having such a phenomenal time stamping and partying with my girls! We are all holed-up at Pam Varnell's house...which we have designated a testosterone-free zone. LOL! Jessica Diedrich, Jessie Knight, and I have run Pam's husband and son completely out of the house in order to concentrate on running our mouths, eating, and laughing.
Luckily, Saturdays mean Crazy 4 Challenges time....and that totally fits the atmosphere in this house this weekend! Our challenges this month are being created by our stamping sister, Lori Boyd, and this week's was to create a card using her sketch. I decided to use one of the new Verve set "Love's Flower", and paired it with some Esther's Guest List patterned papers from KaiserScrapbook. The image was stamped in Chocolate Ink, embossed with Clear Embossing Powder, and then colored in Bermuda with a Blender Pen. I also created a paper flower, sprayed it with Glimmer Mist, and heat embossed it to make it hard (thanks, Susie...great tip, sister!). After some stitching, some brads, and a scalloped panel...you have my completed card!

Now let's see what the rest of the design team have created for you to peruse:

• Barbara Anders
• Cindy Haffner
• Frances Byrne
• Jessica Diedrich
• Jessie Rone
• Joanne Grzelak
• Joycelyn Turner
• Lori Boyd
• Lynda Benden
• Robin Willis
• Vicki Garrett

That's it for today...thanks for stopping by! It's your turn to create a card or project using this same sketch, and share it with us. Be sure to add your creation to Mister Linky back at the Crazy 4 Challenges Blog post...we can't wait to see what you come up with! Until later...

Supplies

Stamps: Love's Flower (Verve)

Papers: Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Esther's Guest List DP (KaiserScrapbook)

Inks: Chocolate Chip Craft, Sahara Sand, Bermuda Bay

Accessories: clear ep, heat gun, blender pen, boho punch, sponge dauber, brads, dimensionals, nesties, big shot, sewing machine, mat pack, paper piercer, border punch, scallop circle punch, glimmer mist

...Wanna Sneak Another Peek?

I told you that you would go crazy when you saw more of Verve's January releases, didn't I? This time I am showcasing my second favorite set called "Heart's Desire". I colored the sentiment stamp with a Melon Mambo and Basic Black Marker, then stamped it onto the Whisper White focal panel. I have to admit that I didn't know which patterned papers I was going to use at first, but the mambo/black combination pushed my toward BasicGrey's Bittersweet collection. I cut the large dotted panel out using Spellbinders' Mega Curved Rectangle Die and my Sizzix Big Shot, then ran around the edges with my Heidi Swapp Distressing Tool. It still needed a little something, so I reached for my trusty sewing machine and black thread...and went crazy (and I do mean CRAZY! LOL!). The striped panel was edged with a piece of white cardstock that had been punched with the Martha Stewart Upper Crest Border Punch. The Basic Black Cardstock panel's edges were distressed, then pierced with a Mat Pack and Paper Piercer. I embellished with a distressed heart, distressed flower, and Antique Silver Brads. Whatcha think?

That's it for me today! Thanks for stopping by to see me, and don't forget to join Julee and the Divas at the January Release Party tomorrow night at 9 p.m. EST! I will see you back here tomorrow with a Farm Fresh Friday creation. Until then...

Supplies

Stamps: Heart's Desire (Verve)

Papers: Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Bittersweet DP (BasicGrey)

Inks: NONE

Accessories: melon marker, black marker, dimensionals, nesties, big shot, distressing tool, sewing machine, Martha Stewart border punch, mat pack, paper piercer, heart-to-heart punch, trio flower punch, brads

...My Little Love Monkey

Be sure to scroll down to see Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #56!I absolutely love preview week for Verve Stamps...and this month is no different! Our January release is coming up this Friday, January 15th, after our Release Party at the Verve Forum...and you do NOT want to miss this one! We'll be debuting 5 brand new sets and 2 plain jane singles this month, and I have two words for you....Valentine's Day! Yep...just giving you a little clue as to what you will be seeing this week at the Verve Blog when the Divas share their sneak peeks as well.

Julee always has such a great eye for design, and always comes up with the best fonts in the whole world! This release is very whimsical and fun with lots of swirly fonts and fabtastic images. Every set is a winner, but I wanted to peek my #1 favorite set called "Love Monkey". I totally cracked up when I saw this precious monkey and all of the wonderful sentiments included in the set. I've referred to my hubby as my love monkey for years, so these stamps were right up my alley! I stamped and embossed this sweet little fella in Chocolate Chip onto Watercolor Paper, then colored him with Blush Blossom and Creamy Caramel Inks. I created a chipboard frame to showcase him, and covered it with a piece of paper from the Love Me Do patterned paper collection by My Mind's Eye. I added some sewing around the large Kraft background panel, and pierced one edge of the plaid patterned paper strip at the bottom of the card. I punched out three heart sections from one of the pieces of patterned paper with a 1/2" Circle Punch, and added some sparkle to each one with some Christmas Red Stickles. I added another patterned paper heart to the lower left corner using the Heart-to-Heart Punch, and sponged the edges in Real Red Ink. A little distressing, numerous Dimensionals, and a whimsical sentiment later...you have my completed card.

That's it for me today! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you've enjoyed this sneak peek, and I hope that you will be back tomorrow to see what I have up my sleeves!

Supplies

Stamps: Love Monkey (Verve)

Papers: Kraft, Real Red, Watercolor, Love Me Do DP (My Mind's Eye)

Inks: Chocolate Chip Craft & Classic, Blush Blossom, Creamy Caramel, Cameo Coral, Real Red, Sahara Sand

Accessories: mat pack, paper piercer, dimensionals, distressing tool, chipboard frame, tombow multi glue, precision file set, clear ep, heat gun, aquapainter, scissors, circle punch, heart punch, stickles, sewing machine, sponge daubers

...Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #56 (MTSC56)

Happy Tuesday! The kids are back in school, I'm feeling better each day, and I'm back to my "normal" stamping schedule. It has been bitterly cold here in north Georgia, and my solution for the cold? STAY INSIDE AND STAMP! LOL! And what better way is there to get started stamping than with a sketch? And it just so happens that I have one for you today. But before we get started, I have a winner to announce for the FREE Verve stamp set....#46, Gretchen Belknap! Please email me at mkstampin74@gmail.com with your snail mail address and stamp choice ...if you would like to wait until Friday night to see the new releases that is fine, but please email me to let me know that's what you're doing. Thanks for all of your wonderful entries...I was blown away by the response! You really do make all of this worth while. I am so blessed to call you all my friends.

Now for this week's Tuesday Sketch #56:
My Sample (minus the ribbon):Vicki Burdick's Sample:
Now let's see what the other Muses have created for our viewing pleasure today:

• Cindy Haffner
• Pam Speidel
• Pam Varnell
• Julie Lacey
• Crystal Birr
• Jessica Diedrich...will be posting late
• Shannan Teubner
• Vicki Burdick (January Guest Muse)

Now it's your turn! Create a card or scrapbook layout using the sketch above, and link your creation below in Mister Linky. Be sure to use the keyword MTSC56 when uploading to a public gallery!

Good Luck & Happy Stamping!